Kafir-corn-heading machine.



r J. NORRIS, JR. KAPIR CORN HEADING MAGHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 24,1907. 923,691. Patented June 1, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TH: Namus PETERS ca, wAsHINaraN. D. c.

J. NoRRIs, JF.. KATIE CORN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1907.

923,691. Patented June 1, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2@ JOHN NORRIS, JR.,

OF QUAIL, TEXAS.

KAFIR-CORN-HEADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 1, 1909.

Application led May 24, 1907. Serial No. 375,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN NoRRIs, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Quail, in the county of Collingsworth and State of Texas,have invented certain newV and useful Improvements in Kafir-Corn-HeadingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to Kafir-corn heading machines and has for itsobject to generally improve, simplify, and increase the efficiency andpracticability of machines of this type.

Further and other objects of the invention will later be apparent.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a top plan view of the completed machine,Fig. 2, is a detail of the cutter bar operating means, and the clutchtherefor, Fig. 3, is a detail showing the chain, and its cushioningmeans for driving the reel, the view being taken at the front side onthe right of Fig. 1, Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views, and Fig. 7 is aside elevation.

The boX or body of the machine is formed of a bottom 1, sides 2, 3 thefront board and ,3, the rear board the whole being mounted on wheeledaxles as shown. -The axle 4 at the front of the machine is provided witheX- tensions 5, formed with enlarged perforated heads 6. Bolster 7,seats on an inverted U- shaped support 8, the depending legs 9 of whichengage in the perforations of heads 6, and receive guiding movementtherefrom. Support 8, seats on enlarged heads 10, of a pair of threadedrods 11, by rotation of which latter the bolster and consequently thewagon body can be raised or lowered to properly position the cuttingapparatus in cases where the corn is of greater or less height than inothers. Rods 11, have transverse openings 12 through which pins 13engage to seat on the aXles and prevent aoc1dental retrograde movementof the rods after having been raised to desired elevation.

The finger bar which is composed of a series of curved fingers 14, issecured to the top side of the front end gate 3. The sickle 15 is insuperimposed relation to the finger bar and is given reciprocatingmovement by means of arm 16, attached thereto and connected to a pin 17,eccentrically mounted on the bevelb gear 18, which latter meshes with abevel gear 19.

Fig. 2 shows a clutch or coupling whereby gear 19 may remain quiescentand thus cause the sickle to be inoperative. This clutch consists of adriven sprocket 20 loose on supporting shaft 21, the sprocket having ahub 22, which when slid into recess 23, of gear 19, couples 20 and 19 sothat the same will rotate in unison. 24 designates a pin eX- tendingtransversely through an aperture, provided therefor on shaft 21, to holdsprocket V20 in either coupled or uncoupled position.

25 is a washer grooved on one face to have pin 24, project partlyvthereinto whereby the sprocket 20, is held out of operation.

26 denotes a second washer on the opposite-side of sprocket 20, whichwasher is also formed with a groove in its outer face which groove asshown in Fig. 2, is engaged by a rib 27, rigidly secured to one of thewasher sides. To couple sprocket 20 with gear 19, pin 24 is removed, andsprocket 20, with its washers 25 and 26 is slid along the shaft so thatwasher 25 and hub 22 will project in recess 23, of gear 19. Washer 26 isthen slid on the shaft so that it engages s rocket 20, after which pin24 is again p aced in its opening in shaft 21, projecting partly in thegroove of washer 26 and thus ocks the parts.

Rear aXle 28 carries a large toothed wheel 29 over which chain 30 passesto engage the sprocket wheel 20. 31, denotes a stationary guiding Wheelfor chain 30 on one of the sides 2 of the wagon body, and 32, a secondguide wheel which latter has a resilient mounting dueto being disposedona spring pressed rod 33.

A reel is carried by extensions 34, which are secured to the wagonsides, said reel comprising a shaft 35, journaled in said eX- tensions,radial arms 36, secured to shaft 35, and horizontal beater arms 37.Shaft 35, is driven by means of sprocket 38 thereon over which passeschain 39, the latter being driven from toothed wheel 40, on rear aXle2S. As shown in Fig. 3, chain 39 passes over stationarily supportedguide wheel 41 and resiliently mounted guide wheel 42, the lattermounted on spring-pressed rod 48.

As depicted in Fig. 6, frontboard 3', has openings 44 therein for reinsof the horses, harness to pass through and be guided by.

\ A double tongue is employed com osed of longitudinal spaced bars 45secure at one end to the wagon and at their opposite ends being curvedoutwardly, the bars being connected by a spring arch 46 of inverted U-shape adjacent their free ends and also having rings 47, secured theretoto engage the breast straps of the harness. A horse is hitched on theouter side of each of bars 45, the stalks of the middle row extending inthe space between bars 45. The curved ends of bars 45, direct the stalkson each side of the bars into the space between the latter and thusprevent the horses from tramping down the same.

Fig. 4 shows a curved double tree 48 which allows it to be attachedbehind the finger bar so as to not interfere with the stalks during theapproach of the cutting apparatus.

That I claim is:

1. In a machine of the type set forth, running gear having a receivingbox thereon, cutting apparatus thereon, said apparatus embodying afinger bar arranged on top of the box front, a sickle bar mounted onsaid finger bar, a pitman connected to said sickle combination with awagon ruiming gear and box thereon, cutting apparatus on said box, arotatable reel on said box, means to operate said reel and cutting anparatus, means to guide the stalks to said cutting apparatus andprovide space for the draft 35 animals, and means for raising orlowering said box with respect to said ruiming gear. JOHN NORRIS, Jn.lllitnesses:

S. G. ALEXANDER, M. F. RoBERTs.

